"This all-color book describes the Turkish harem in a comprehensive manner, bringing it to life with sensual, evocative illustrations and well-documented text." "The author describes the reigns and idiosyncracies of the Sultans and their favorites and brilliantly traces the decline of a once mighty empire grown soft from the corruption of absolute power, the influence of Europe, and above all, the usurpation of control by the very women who were supposed to live in complete subjugation to their lords and masters." "Illustrated by documents of the period, old and new photographs, and masterpieces by Renoir, Delacroix, Matisse, and Ingres among others, this revelation of a lost way of life will enchant anybody whose imagination has been inflamed by tales of a thousand and one nights."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved